December 21, 2008

Part 3: Is Technology Marketing For You?

Q: Should I specialize in any one marketing function over another?

A: Warren Buffet says that Wall Street votes in the short-term but it weighs you in the long-term. If you’re short-term focused, go ahead and specialize as long as you can in one thing. Someone will always want you. If you’re long-term focused, specialize in a bunch of things and get “heavy.” It really depends on your career goal.

Become a generalist to get that entry level job. Then, specialize to make progress in your career. Then, you should become a generalist again who has specialized skills and strengths but understands how to manage all areas of marketing not because you say so but because you’ve demonstrated it the whole way. Your specialty can be something to fall back on but you’ll be in a better position to make the leap from mid-level manager to executive. It’s not a jump or step. The move from manager to executive is a giant leap.

Let’s pause here since it’s worth elaborating on that last point. Technology attracts a lot of impatient people. I think it’s due to the fact that technology tends to attract really smart people who are put into a fast moving marketplace populated by startups and companies with short life spans. This is further exacerbated by the fact that no other industry (in my opinion) offers a true meritocracy like technology. It’s not uncommon for a 20-something or mid-30s wunderkind to become CEO or VP of marketing. Talk about a recipe for impatience. There’s always pressure to keep up. But, don’t get sucked into this career-inhibiting mode of being impatient. Remain patient and focus on steady career growth.